


Freeze-Frame

by Blackbird (Cheeto_Breath)



Series: Criminal Minds Drabbles [2]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Drabble, Introspection, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 05:42:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18046601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheeto_Breath/pseuds/Blackbird
Summary: Reid catalogs Morgan; Morgan studies Reid.





	Freeze-Frame

Reid catalogs Morgan’s movements, threads the memories into a photo-album and maps their relationship. He captures his and Garcia’s nicknames, their phone-calls, his winning home-run, Morgan’s arms. He replaces the bloodied-knuckles, the nightmares, the Dilaudid and C-4 with retakes. Love frames every memory. 

Reid shoots Morgan smiling and archives the photograph; he files portraits of Morgan in his head and relishes in the freshness of each developing memory. Reid flips through the pages of his and Morgan’s relationship and wonders if he’ll ever add a new section. His declaration would more-than-likely spill regret onto and tear into the picture-perfect memories of their partnership, but Reid’s tired of dedicating scrapbooks to an unrequited “crush”. Still, the ghosts of unhealed wounds lurk in the background; he won’t bring them to the forefront. Rejection haunts him.

 

* * *

    

Morgan remembers Reid’s statistics, organizes Reid’s words into flashcards, and studies their relationship. He mediates Reid’s “fist-bumps”, his sacrifices, their prank war, Reid’s laugh. He skips Diane Turner, the headaches, the Dilaudid, and Gideon. He’d fail himself before he contemplated Reid in his darkest moments. 

Morgan researches Reid’s quirks and records the information; he documents Reid’s faux pas in his head and smiles at his findings. He investigates him. Morgan reviews the notes of his and Reid’s relationship and wonders if this is all he’ll ever learn. Morgan hypothesizes his declaration would more-than-likely be a failed experiment with Reid. He isn’t a genius but he rereads and repeats Reid’s movements until he memorizes them. Still, Reid tests everything Morgan knows about himself; he won’t redefine himself for an unrequited “crush”. The unknown haunts him.

Love haunts them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: @rereiding
> 
> Kudos/comments appreciated.


End file.
